Irate youth burn Police anti-robbery snap checkpoint at Karimenga

Karimenga ((NE/R), May 19, GNA – Irate youth at Karimenga, a farming community in the West Mamprusi Municipality of the North East region, has burned down a shelter of the police personnel stationed at the anti-robbery snap checkpoint in the area on the Bolgatanga-Tamale Highway.

This followed the shooting and injuring of a female pillion rider by the Police, who have been stationed in the area to combat crime.

The victim is currently responding to treatment at the Upper East Regional Hospital in Bolgatanga.

Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mr David Fianko-Okyere, Public Relations Officer, Upper East Regional Police Command, told the Ghana News Agency that calm had been restored to the community following fruitful engagement between the Ghana Police Service and the leadership of the community.

According to ASP Fianko-Okyere, at about 1700 hours on Tuesday, while the Police were on their usual ‘stop and search’ operation on the road, the victim and the rider of the motor bike who approached from Pwalugu refused to stop when the Police asked them to do so.

They hit the crush barrier and sped off.

The Police personnel suspecting them to be criminals pursued them and after several unsuccessful verbal warnings, fired a warning shot in an attempt to demobilize the rider but it hit the pillion rider and injured her and as a result she fell off the motorbike while the rider escaped.

This angered the youth of the area who set the structure that house the Police personnel posted to the checkpoint ablaze.

The victim was rushed to the hospital for treatment while it was later found out that the rider reported himself to the Pwalugu Police Station in the Talensi District of the Upper East region.

ASP Fianko-Okyere noted that the Police hierarchy in the region led by the Regional Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Dr Sayibu Pabi Gariba, after visiting the victim and assuring the family of the necessary support to ensure full recovery, engaged the youth and leadership of the community to restore calm.

ASP Fianko-Okyere who described the incident as unfortunate, noted that, “ever since the checkpoint was put there, the community members had been cooperative, even supporting police in some search parties and the chief sometimes visited the Policemen at the place.

“We have ironed out our differences and the youth have also apologized to the Police and have even gone to clean the debris at the scene”.

Source: Ghana News Agency